


Rather not talk about it

by KingsNeverDie100



Series: Reunions [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Family Reunion, Feels, Siblings, except for Bran, the Stark babies togehter again, tv-verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-23 23:15:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8346625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingsNeverDie100/pseuds/KingsNeverDie100
Summary: It's a reunion for three of the remaining four Starks. It's a happy moment, but some things are better left unsaid.





	

It was a quiet evening for once, which was a nice change. For the past few weeks both Jon and Sansa had been buried in work. Different types of work, but equally important. Sansa had been looking to the restoration of the castle and the town, to make it the way it was under Stark rule. She had taken on all the duties of the Lady of the keep, and admired her mother more and more for managing it for so long. Jon had been trying to get used to the part of king- a role which he had not asked for, but now seemed to be stuck with. It wasn’t that different to being Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, except on a larger scale, which meant more work. There were also more politics to be minded, which was something he was not very fond over, but accepted. He had much more preferred the isolated politics of Castle Black, where all he had to mind was the brothers and the wildlings. He’d take wildlings any day over some of the lords he had to deal with.

All this work resulted in both him and his sister to- since that day of Jon’s unofficial “coronation” in this very hall- take most of their meals separately in their respective studies, or to take a scroll or two with them to the table, as to get as much work done as possible.

But on this night, they found themselves only eating at the table, and it was the most peace either had experienced since returning to Winterfell. Neither of them spoke. At the moment, they would both rather enjoy the silence. However, they were interrupted when a messenger approached them from behind.

“Your Grace, My Lady. There is someone here to see you who claims to have information about your sister.”

Jon had to take a moment to understand that he was the one who was being spoken to, since he still wasn’t used to the title. He looked at Sansa to find her eyes already on him. They had a brief telepathic conversation, before they both stood up.

“Where?” he asked, trying to keep the urgency out of his voice.

They began to walk towards the chamber the man had pointed out. The corridors were empty, since most people were in the Great Hall or their own rooms at this hour. Their steps echoed against the walls.

“What do you think about this?” he asked his sister who walked beside him. Jon way have experience as a leader, but he still felt that his place was more at the Wall than in the lord’s seat at Winterfell, so he felt more comfortable asking Sansa’s advice in most situations. After all, she had more experience in the world of politics than he did, and she had grown in to a wise woman since last he saw her. However, at this moment neither of them knew what to expect.

“I’m not sure,” she responded. “It could be false. It could be a trap. But if this person has true information about Arya and we dismiss them without hearing it, I will never forgive myself.”

Jon felt the same, and it was reason enough to at least investigate. They had chosen to meet with this person alone, without telling anyone else about it. This felt too personal to involve a bunch of lords who would see information of their sister as a strategic move rather than a family matter.

They soon reached the chamber where their guest was waiting for them. A fire in the hearth was the only thing lighting the room up, giving it a soft yellow glow. In front of it stood a person covered in a cloak. Their back was turned to them and the face was covered by the rough fabric.

Jon and Sansa stood side by side, ready to face whatever this was together as brother and sister.

Jon cleared his throat. “I hear you have information about our sister. May we hear it?”

The figure was silent, not moving a muscle.

Jon spoke again. “If somebody sent you here… if this is but a cruel jest or a plot to weaken us, I promise you, you will regret it.”

Sansa placed a hand on her brother’s arm before stepping forward. “If you truly know anything of Arya, we will be eternally grateful. Please, tell us what you came here to say.” She spoke softer than Jon in an attempt to remain friendly until this person’s true intentions had been revealed.

Slowly, as if afraid someone might attack at sudden movements, the person began to remove their hood, and turned around.

Sansa and Jon’s eyes went wide, and they suddenly had a hard time to breathe. Before them stood their long lost sister. Older than they remembered, but it was definitely her.

She had the same hair and the same eyes, their father’s eyes, if only a bit harsher, but so were theirs. She had grown, but was still shorter than both of them.

“Arya?” Sansa whispered.

The cloak fell on the floor and Arya took a hesitant step forward. “It’s me, sis.” She wanted to keep her voice steady, but it wavered, much to her annoyance. Ever since she had stepped foot in Winterfell earlier that day she had managed to keep her emotions under control, but now, standing face to face with her siblings after being separated for so long, she found a lump in her throat and felt her eyes getting wetter. She smiled to try to cover it. “Did you miss me? I thought you’d be glad to be rid of your annoying little sister.”

Sansa took cautious steps forward, as if this mirage would disappear at any second. When she stood before her, she reached out and laid a hand on Arya’s shoulder to see if she was real. That touch broke the dam, and tears flowed down Arya’s face.

“Of course I missed you. You have no idea how much I missed you.” Sansa was crying now too. The girls threw their arms around each other and embraced in a way they never had before. “Where were you? What happened to you after…” _After they took our father’s head_. “Where have you been?”

Arya sniffled and kept her face buried in the nape of her sister’s neck. All that she had been through, all that she had done: did she really want to tell it her sister? No. At least not now. This was supposed to be a happy moment. Her story was not a happy one.

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

Sansa put her hand on the back of Arya’s head, and for a moment she could pretend it was her mother holding her.

“What happened to you?” she asked, pushing thoughts of the people they’d lost out of her head. It was better right now to focus on the people she still had left.

Sansa thought about it for a moment- King’s Landing, Littlefinger and the Vale, Ramsay Bolton and the resent battle- and came to the same conclusion as Arya.

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

Arya looked over the older girl’s shoulder and saw Jon bathed in the light from the fire. From the glow reflecting in his eyes she could see that he was about to cry as well. With reluctance she let go of Sansa and flung herself in her brother’s arms.

Jon kissed the top of her head and tried to hold back sobs. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

Arya didn’t speak. She only held on like she was drowning. Of all the people she assumed she would never see again, Jon was on top of that list. Yet here he was, back in Winterfell, and a king on top of everything!

She pulled back to get a better look at him. He- much like Sansa and herself- seemed older, more mature and with a heavier weight on his mind. She traced the scars that around his eyes. It looked like someone had cut both sides of his face.

“How did you get these?” she asked, concerned for her brother, and a little bit eager for the opportunity to get revenge on anyone who had hurt either of her siblings.

_Ygritte, wildlings, the eagle, the battle at the Wall, Ygritte, the cave, dying, Ygritte._

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

Arya couldn’t help it, but she started laughing. A hearty and true laugh, which she hadn’t done since… she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d laughed. It was just so ridiculous. They had finally found each other after so long, and neither of them were willing to tell the others anything. She didn’t blame though, if they had been through things as horrible as she had been.

A smile pulled at the corner of Jon’s lips. His smile had always had the ability to light up a room. Suddenly this one didn’t feel so gloomy and dark anymore. He started laughing too. Sansa followed, laughing through her tears. Jon reached out and pulled her in to join them.

They would talk about everything eventually. Even the things they didn’t really want to talk about. Not right now, though.

How long they stood there in each other’s arms they didn’t know. The fire had begun to dim down, but they didn’t care. They were together again, and they were never letting go.


End file.
